Buying Old Toyo RA1's vs New R888 *What I Found Out*
09-29-2010, 03:02 PM
#16
Rennlist Member
i noticed them wearing very fast in the middle on one single event when it was very hot and front tires got almost to 44psi hot but I quickly dropped pressure, so it was may be was only 1 single session like this during entire life of those tires. still wear pattern did not change at all. quite an odd thing to see.
09-29-2010, 05:18 PM
#17
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Most people would be very happy with 55 heat cycles from just about any tire. Personally, I don't care so much about how much rubber is left, just how many HC's I get.
Uneven tread wear with the center of the tire wearing more than the edges is typically caused by over-inflation.
Uneven tread wear with the center of the tire wearing more than the edges is typically caused by over-inflation.
I'm happy with the wear I'm getting on the NT01's, I was just not as fast on those as I was on the R888s. I felt more comfortable on the R888.
I'm actually finding the NT01s are getting faster as they get older with less air pressure in the tires. I really had to fight with the R888 to find a pressure "zone" that I liked. Kind of the same with NT01. A lot of that is my inexperience running r-comps as I've only been using dot-r tires for the last two years.
09-29-2010, 05:52 PM
#18
Race Director
I tried a set of NT01s this season, and found they didn't fit my driving style/car handling, and would usually get really slick after like 18-20 minutes. I have the same issue with full tread NT01, plenty of tread left, but the tire can't handle longer sessions at all without falling off, but is still plenty fast in the first 15 minutes of a session.
09-29-2010, 05:54 PM
#19
Rennlist Member
thats a good deal then. if shaved too! 
basically what I have. they came off the audi team's WCGT car after 2 heat cycles. infact, they were new for an atlanta race, where it rained, so there was no wear on them, and then one session in the dry. they still have shaving marks and when I put them on, it feels like a brand new RA1. always the newer ones feel better, than what is talked about here, getting better with age. however, they dont fall off like hoosiers. they seem be pretty good until cords though, but certainly better when only having one heat cycle on them.
and yes, it does matter how they are stored. mine are in the garage, shaded and with plastic around 1/2 of my sets. I got enough left to last a few more race seasons.
basically what I have. they came off the audi team's WCGT car after 2 heat cycles. infact, they were new for an atlanta race, where it rained, so there was no wear on them, and then one session in the dry. they still have shaving marks and when I put them on, it feels like a brand new RA1. always the newer ones feel better, than what is talked about here, getting better with age. however, they dont fall off like hoosiers. they seem be pretty good until cords though, but certainly better when only having one heat cycle on them.
and yes, it does matter how they are stored. mine are in the garage, shaded and with plastic around 1/2 of my sets. I got enough left to last a few more race seasons.
09-29-2010, 06:41 PM
#20
Race Director
Thread Starter
thats a good deal then. if shaved too!
basically what I have. they came off the audi team's WCGT car after 2 heat cycles. infact, they were new for an atlanta race, where it rained, so there was no wear on them, and then one session in the dry. they still have shaving marks and when I put them on, it feels like a brand new RA1. always the newer ones feel better, than what is talked about here, getting better with age. however, they dont fall off like hoosiers. they seem be pretty good until cords though, but certainly better when only having one heat cycle on them.
and yes, it does matter how they are stored. mine are in the garage, shaded and with plastic around 1/2 of my sets. I got enough left to last a few more race seasons.
basically what I have. they came off the audi team's WCGT car after 2 heat cycles. infact, they were new for an atlanta race, where it rained, so there was no wear on them, and then one session in the dry. they still have shaving marks and when I put them on, it feels like a brand new RA1. always the newer ones feel better, than what is talked about here, getting better with age. however, they dont fall off like hoosiers. they seem be pretty good until cords though, but certainly better when only having one heat cycle on them.
and yes, it does matter how they are stored. mine are in the garage, shaded and with plastic around 1/2 of my sets. I got enough left to last a few more race seasons.
I doubt these left over 2007 RA1's are stored in a temp regulated facility. After seeing the cracks/rot on my bead I am sure of it that these low cost RA1's being sold off were drier than when they were new and fresh.
09-30-2010, 08:57 AM
#22
Burning Brakes
I just finished a PCA event at Roebling Road in Savannah and the Toyo R888s got double duty because my wife and I drove the car. We put in a total of 300 track miles in 2 days and i flipped them once from Sat to Sun. Great wear and traction. I imagine that the next event will be better now we got a few heat cycles thru them. I kept the hot pressures to 36F and 38R and monitored the pressures after each session.
09-30-2010, 09:39 AM
#23
Rennlist Member
I've never heard of an RA1 that caused problems before, while I have heard of other tires blowing out at the track. As Toyo and all the other tire makers say, 6 years is the shelf life, possibly longer if properly stored (ie: Covered to protect from UV in a climate controlled basement vs. on a car sitting in the driveway). So my late 2007 RA1s will easily serve me well in 2011 (new set to be installed March 2011) and 2012 (new set to be installed March 2012).
The thing I didn't like about the R888 was they were not as grippy as the RA1 and they were painfully loud on the way to / from the track. But, once my RA1s are done, I'll have to switch.
The thing I didn't like about the R888 was they were not as grippy as the RA1 and they were painfully loud on the way to / from the track. But, once my RA1s are done, I'll have to switch.
Hey Doc, nice meeting you!
I have 4 days on one of my sets and I corded the inside right rear, just a 5" cord showing inside. I only run -1.7 Camber rear and it was the righ rear that corded inside. Maybe I am cheap, stupid, brave or all the above, but I run them until they are properly corded. Outside of the tire wil barely get used.
Glad it happened to a $200.00 RA1 not a $400.00 anything else. I see no cracks, drying anything. They look good. I will have to flip them on the rim every 2 days or I will cord them too quick.
My fronts are wearing very even, but a LOT of graining left front at Roebling, the tire looks melted and the entire insdie of the rim was full of rubber, I mean full, not half full like usual and the left side of the car was blacker then usual. Tire temps were 220 inside 190 outside starting 26PSI cold ending up 36-36PSI.
My left rear wore weird on the inside, the part of the tire, 1" from the edge is worn deeper then the actual edge. What does that mean?
I still think it is a solidly build tire that has a lot of rubber and will last 4-6 days rear and about doeble that front. Might not be fast but, very dependable IMHO.
